The History of the Nutcracker Ballet

Origins of the Nutcracker Story

In 1816, a German novelist named Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffman (1776-1822) wrote a fairytale called the "Nutcracker and the King of the Mice." This story inspired the great French choreographer, Marius Petipa to produce a ballet of the Nutcracker for the Russian Imperial Ballet. Petipa actually based his ballet not directly from Hoffman's story but on a French version of the tale written by Alexander Dumas Pere, "The Nutcracker of Nurembuerg."

Although what is seen on the stage today is different in detail from the original story, the basic plot remains the same: the story of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King. The ballet was planned to be a repeat of the successful collaboration between the composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa in their 1890 production of The Sleeping Beauty.

Marius Petipa was born on March 11, 1818 in Marseille France and died on July 14, 1910 in Gurzuf, Ukraine, of the Russian Empire. Petipa was not only a great choreographer, but a brilliant dancer as well. He remains one of the most recognized and honored figures among the ballet world and is considered one of the most influential and respected choreographers of his art form, classical ballet. Petipa's works are still performed by major ballet companies around the world. He alone choreographed over 60 full-length ballets, many of which are still performed today, including The Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia and Swan Lake.

Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky had previously collaborated with Petipa for The Sleeping Beauty and they worked closely together to compose the music for Nutcracker. Having Tchaikovsky compose music for the imperial theatre was a major acquisition. Tchaikovsky's contributions are enormous, not only to classical music but also to classical ballet as a whole.

The Nutcracker was first performed on December 18, 1892 at the Maryinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia and was planned in great detail by Marius Petipa. When he became ill, the production was brought to the stage Lev Ivanov. Ivanov was a Russian known for his phenomenal musicality and musical memory; and even though Ivanov completed the choreography, his memory has always remained in the shadow of Marius Petipa. The original scenario of 1892 is very sparse and Ivanov's original choreography, all except for the final grand pas de deux, is long since lost.

The world renowned Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo brought a shortened version of The Nutcracker to American audiences in 1940. Four years later, the San Francisco Ballet presented the first full-length American version. Since that time, it has become not only the most popular ballet, but the most performed ballet in the world.

A New Beginning For The Nutcracker At The Maple Youth Ballet!

Though The Nutcracker is a classical ballet with strong traditions to which many choreographers adhere, some choreographers have developed modern versions. For instance in 2002, the South Bay Ballet commissioned Charles Maple to create a new Nutcracker ballet and Jenny Tomich to design the costumes and sets.

Mr. Maple's version of the Nutcracker ballet is about Clara, a young girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina and Drosselmeyer is a ballet master, possibly a reincarnation of Petipa. Drosselmeyer gives Clara two presents, a Nutcracker and a pair of pointe shoes. But Clara is too young to dance on pointe. In her dream, Clara grows up, wears the pointe shoes that Drosselmeyer gave her and dances with her Nutcracker Prince in a performance at the Palace of Sweets.

Mr. Maple's version of the Nutcracker is a "ballet about ballet" and about one person's passion to dance. It is a message that lives in the heart and soul of every dancer. This full-length version of The Nutcracker will be performed by the Maple Youth Ballet in December 2008 featuring brand-new sets and costumes.

We welcome you to join us on December 8 & 9 for Maple Youth Ballet's special presentation, Nutcracker, A New Beginning… with narration by Charles Maple and an informative "pre-curtain" introduction by Lorin Johnson.